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Nichols: New offense lives up to the ‘Heup’ in 2021 Orange and White game

Even in a spring game, the star-studded day featured more offensive explosion than Tennessee has seen in years.
Jake Nichols|
Nichols: New offense lives up to the ‘Heup’ in 2021 Orange and White game
Nichols: New offense lives up to the ‘Heup’ in 2021 Orange and White game

If there’s an antithesis to Jeremy Pruitt, it’s Josh Heupel.

Where Pruitt was defensive, Heupel is offensive. Where Pruitt was conservative, Heupel is risky. Where Pruitt ran, Heupel throws — a lot.

The latter was certainly the case on Saturday, as Heupel’s air-raid approach took center stage at Neyland Stadium for the first Orange and White game of a new era.

After three years of head-scratching and a promised change with a fresh regime, fans and VFLs waited in electric anticipation for some newfound fireworks. 

New Orleans Saints running back and former Tennessee standout Alvin Kamara visits with fans during Saturday’s Orange and White game. (Jake Nichols/VR2 on SI)

Former Tennessee offensive lineman and 2021 NFL Draft prospect Trey Smith takes a selfie with a fan at the 2021 Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium. (Jake Nichols/VR2 on SI)

Legendary Tennessee linebacker Al Wilson greets former Vol QB Josh Dobbs during Saturday’s Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium. (Jake Nichols/VR2 on SI)

Former Tennessee QB and current Pittsburgh Steelers QB Josh Dobbs looks into the crowd during Saturday’s Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium. (Jake Nichols/VR2 on SI)

Tennessee delivered in full.

Harrison Bailey led the charge with a 12-for-15 passing effort, with 260 yards through the air and two touchdowns. Granted, one of those throws came on a free play that caught the defense off guard, but Bailey’s 73-yard dime to walk-on Jack Jancek still blew the first winds of change on a relatively cool afternoon.

Brian Maurer had a solid day as well. At times in his Tennessee career, the Florida native has shown flashes that can topple into recklessness. But he kept himself under control and showed some nice versatility on Saturday, finishing 9-of-15 for 171 yards and a touchdown. Arguably, Maurer’s best two plays of the day came on a 45-yard toss to a leaping Jalin Hyatt, and a hissing, roll-out dime that flexed Maurer’s ability to throw on the run.

Hendon Hooker, the senior Virginia Tech transfer who boasts the most experience of the trio, ironically seemed the most inconsistent on Saturday. His first series ended in a shrug-worthy three-and-out, yet he ended the day with the winning touchdown pass on a fantastic 29-yard grab by Cedric Tillman. Tillman’s catch added an extra spark, as he stretched out, bobbled the ball and reeled it in to give the Orange team a 42-37 win.

Between those plays, Hooker scooted past the pylon untouched for a score. But he also fired a pick-six that Warren Burrell took 34 yards for an easy defensive touchdown. Hooker finished the day 10-of-14 for 111 yards, with one TD through the air, one on the ground and one to the opposing white jerseys.

Altogether, Tennessee’s QB group had three passing touchdowns with an eye-popping 368 yards. The gunslingers weren’t the only ones to find success, either, although they remain the greatest discussion point for obvious reasons.

After Memphis native Jabari Small slammed through the defensive line to open some holes, freshman running back Jaylen Wright scored the first touchdown of the day on a seven-yard scamper. Small finished with 11 carries for 45 yards and two touchdowns, while Wright added 19 yards on five carries with the lone touchdown. Fred Orr was another impressive back, notching 10 carries for 83 yards.

Overall, 99 plays from scrimmage generated 821 total offensive yards, with 311 yards in the first 25 plays. Moreover, each team scored over 35 points — something that Pruitt’s stagnant offense managed just twice last season.

See? Antithesis — even in the spring game.

All this isn’t to say that Tennessee will blow the roof off opponents this season, or that the Vols’ defense won’t allow even more points than Heupel’s offense could score.

But after years of Jarrett Guarantano’s struggles, Jeremy Pruitt’s stubbornness and virtually no development at the quarterback position, it’s nice to see that the Vols have some choices. And that‘s without even factoring in a still-suspended Kaidon Salter, the possible addition of Michigan transfer Joe Milton, or another offensive boost via a running back unit that showed out on Saturday despite suffering two vital departures this offseason.

Granted, there’s still no front runner in Tennessee’s quarterback room. And there won’t be for a while.

Still, options mean creativity, and creativity means fun. 

That’s something that had been missing for three years in Knoxville, yet Heupel brought it back in one Saturday afternoon.

Whether that fun translates to wins remains to be seen.

But for a bruised and battered program with a fan base starving for success, it certainly means something.

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Jake Nichols
JAKE NICHOLS

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